KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — The Kansas City Zoo says only about 740 eastern black rhinos are left in the wild, and just 53 in the facilities accredited through the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
However, it made an announcement that one more will be added to the population of the critically-endangered subspecies.
Zuri, an eastern black rhinoceros, gave birth to a calf at the Kansas City Zoo on New Year’s Eve morning. Mom and baby are both “doing well,” the zoo said.
Both Zuri and father, Ruka, arrived in Kansas City from the Oregon Zoo in April 2018, according to the zoo.
“The rhinos’ animal care specialists say that the calf is walking, nursing, and even playing spar with mom. Zuri has been a patient and attentive first-time mother. The rhino barn is being kept quiet with limited human interaction to allow mother and calf plenty of time to bond, which is a very important process. Once they’ve had that bonding time, a neonatal exam will be performed in the coming weeks to confirm gender and overall health.”
Zoo officials revealed the gender of its newest baby rhino on Sunday morning.
The father Ruka helped knock open a gender reveal ball which unfurled some pink confetti, revealing a female gender.
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